the Return of Memory Days
by Ciel Clyne
Summary: After being gone for 7 years, Loki and the other spirits decided to give Lucy a present, and they learn that the book "Memory Days" was a wrong choice. An innocent dash of Lucy x Loki...
1. The Troublesome Present

Loki's antics never seize to annoy me. Seriously!

Whenever he shows up, he flirts with me –or at least the first girl he sees, which is still usually me-. When I try to summon him Virgo shows up. And now, here he is, showing up –in my bathroom- even though I didn't want him to. I actually thought he would change over the 7 years that I've been gone. But no! He was openly gaping at my body. He's still a pervert. I felt kind of sorry for him -after I slapped him and closed his gate- since I know that that my spirits missed me after the time gap, but he did deserve it. I just sighed and hoped he learned his lesson...

But hoping wasn't enough when it comes to Loki.

Because the minute I wrapped myself with a towel, he was already sitting on my bed with a smirk on his face.

"I like your shampoo. It smells really good" he said with a seductive tone in his voice.

I just rolled my eyes at his comment. _I am so not in the mood for this, _I thought to myself.

"Loki, what are you doing here?" I asked him exasperatedly.

"Well, I think I'm staring at my master's gorgeous body" he replied smoothly.

I just remembered that the only thing covering my body was a towel. I crossed my arms over my chest. He chuckled when he saw me blush at his comment. _Darn it,_ I thought as he locked his golden eyes with mine. I tried my best to glare at him.

"Okay. I'm sorry, Lucy. There's just something I want to show you" he smiled and took my hand that was over my chest.

"H-hey, let me put some clothes on first!" I protested. He just covered my eyes, ignoring me. There really was no point in arguing with Loki so I just let him lead me towards my living room.

"Do you really need to do that?" I groaned as we took little steps so I wouldn't trip.

"I'm afraid so, princess. I don't want you to ruin my surprise" he replied with a grin. Or at least he sounded like he was grinning to me. "I'm sure you're gonna love it!" he continued.

"I was actually referring to the way your arm is wrapped around my waist, Loki" I snapped at him. I pinched his arm as he chuckled at my comment.

_Darn it, Loki! This is so embarrassing. Doesn't he know that he is literally breathing down my neck? _I thought while grabbing my towel tighter to my body. I felt the wood under my feet and sighed with relief. After a few more steps he took his hand away and I was in the middle of my living room.

My eyes focused on a present on top of my center table. It was covered in shiny blue wrapping with a gold glossy ribbon. _Pretty._

"You do know that you could've just handed me the present instead of giving me a trip to get here" I smiled sheepishly at my lion spirit.

"Aww, but where will be the fun in that?" he grinned.

Of course! And by fun, he meant making me as red as a tomato while grabbing my towel-wrapped body against him. I rolled my eyes and just shook off the thought.

"And besides," he grabbed the rectangular present and gave it to me. "This is really special –but not expensive special-" he said quickly before I could lecture him. "Special because this is from all of us" he added then smiled in a way that it would be a crime not to smile back at him, so I did. I kept my stare at the present while murmuring "thanks" so I wouldn't have to look at those golden eyes.

I slowly pulled the gold ribbon on one end then unwrapped the present which made a crinkling sound. I couldn't help but remember something. Though I didn't know what it was. It just seemed like this happened before. Me, slowly opening a present from Loki. But that's impossible. Because if Loki gave me a gift, I would've simply remembered. I got so absorbed with the thought that I almost forgot Loki until I felt his stare.

"Oh! Sorry, Loki. I was just trying to remember something" I told him softly. "Thanks for not rushing me by the way" I added with a smile.

"Sure thing, Lucy" he smiled back. "Did you at least remember the thought you were thinking of?" he asked expectantly.

I didn't think he would be concerned about such an errand thought but I answered him anyway. "Uhm, no. It's impossible anyway, so don't bother" I assured him.

I wasn't sure but he seemed disappointed with me not remembering. I just shrugged it off and continued unwrapping the present. I let the gift wrap drop to the floor as I touched my present. It was a simple, neat, old book and I liked it that way. The funny thing was that Loki wrapped it facing the wrong way. I was about to reprimand him about it and that he didn't need to give me a present –since we already had a party at the Celestial Spirit Realm- until I flipped the book over.

…

I gasped –or more like choked- after seeing the book.

"Lucy? What's up with the gasp just now? Was that the wow-this-is-the-best-gift-ever gasp or this-gift-is-so-horrible-that-i-can't-believe-i-even-talk-to-the-person-who-gave-this-to-me gasp?"

Loki's question was so weird and hilarious that I should be rolling on the floor right now. But no. I couldn't. I was frozen. I think he's still talking, but I couldn't hear him. It's like automatically tuned him out. The only thing I hear and see was the trouble my team and I got to because of this book. I held the book tightly, afraid to make the same mistake Natsu, Gray, Erza and I made. But there was also a part of me that wanted to throw it away.

_This is bad… this is…_

"…memory days…" my whisper was soft but sounded terrified that Loki stopped what he was about to say just to check on me.

"Lucy..?"

"This book… is bad, Loki" I turned to look at him and saw my terrified expression in his eyes. Loki's expression seemed hurt by what I said. I felt a tinge of guilt for Loki.

"Oh I'm sorry, Lucy. I guess I'm not that good with-" I cut him off to explain.

"That's not what I meant, Loki. This is a magical book. More like cursed. Trust me. The others and I almost got stuck in history because of this book. I'm sorry… but I can't take it" I said it as apologetic as I can so he won't feel bad, the continued "but I do appreciate that you guys wanted to give me a gift" I smiled and tried to look him straight but his hair shadowed his eyes. "Thank y-"

"No, Lucy" he cut me off. "You shouldn't be thanking me. It was my fault. The other spirits just told me that I should at least get you a gift that was from all of us. I, on the other hand, was too stupid to even know if the gift is bad for you. Ugh! I just rushed in to make the decision of getting you a book, since you love books. You're a writer. You like reading books when you're happy. You also like reading books when you're sad, and since the news about your dad seemed-" Loki stopped there.

I was shocked. No. More like touched –but not flattered- in a surprised way. This gift wasn't for me being gone for 7 years. It was because my spirits were concerned about me. They knew about my dad being… gone. They were worried. Loki was worried.

"Oh no. I-I'm sorry, Lucy. I didn't mean to make you cry" Loki's voice pulled me back to reality.

Weird. I didn't now that I was crying until he said so. He wiped my tears away and apologizing to me at the same time. I sighed and just hugged him –but still held the book behind him- so he would shut up.

"It's okay, Loki. I think you're really sweet. I really wish I could thank all of you guys" I said to my ginger-haired spirit.

I should really be careful of what I wish for. A second after I said that I saw a flash of light and smoke and two of my spirits were beside their zodiac leader.

"We just wanted to see what gift Loki-san got Lucy-chan, ebi" Cancer said while snipping his scissors.

"S-Sorry to intrude" Aries whispered shyly with a blush on her cheeks.

_E-eh?_

"What the-? You guys shouldn't be here!" Loki yelled, but was cut off by three more –poofs-.

Before I even knew it, Virgo, Taurus along with Gemi and Mini were in my living room.

"We're here, piri!" the twins said in unison.

"Loki-sama, how could you? Lucy-sama's beautiful body is mine!" Taurus exclaimed, smoke still surrounding him.

My cow spirit's comment finally made me realize that I was still hugging Loki. My face felt so hot. It was a good thing Loki didn't notice, or at least _pretended_ not to notice since I saw a smudge of blush on his cheeks before he looked away.

"Why are you guys here?!" Loki asked angrily but still managed to put a smile in his face. He looked… evil actually.

Virgo was the one to answer Loki's questions with a blank face. "We felt that the princess was crying. We wanted to know what was wrong, so here we are. Her eyes suddenly shifted to Loki and her tone became serious. "And Loki-nii-sama was the one who made the princess cry, which means he needs to be punished."

"Hey! Wait a minute, you guys-" Loki started again.

I held the book tighter as I heard another puff of smoke followed by two more. I felt… weird. Everything seemed so nostalgic. Me, losing a parent, getting a gift from someone and feeling so tired.

_No,_ I corrected my thoughts. _I feel more like… weak. Weak enough to fall asleep…_

_And never…_

I felt my grip on the book loosen.

…_wake…_

Then I just couldn't help but let go.

_..up!_

…


	2. Stranded in the Past

Loki's POV

"Lucy-sama, can you hear us, ebi?"

"Don't worry. Lucy-chan is going to be alright, piri!"

"B-But… why is her beautiful, voluptuous, mind-blowing body so still?"

"Princess...? If you can hear us… -sniff- …please… _punish me! _I'm the one to blame!"

"I-I'm sorry, Lucy-sama. I… -sob- really am… Please forgive me…"

"Oh, all of you shut up! Hey, Lucy, you annoying little girl. If you don't open your eyes right now, I swear I'm gonna drown you!"

"Pu-puun!"

"She's going to be alright, Nicolas."

_Annoying._ The best way to describe this situation. Eventhough we were in the middle of a beautiful meadow, I was still exasperatedly annoyed. These guys just don't know how to shut up. I care about the other Zodiacs since I am their leader, but I really hate them right now! They didn't listen to me! It's supposed to be common knowledge that stellar spirits can't show up all at the same time. But now, 8 spirits -9 if I include myself- are hovering over Lucy. I know that they're worried and they only want to make sure she's alright. I would do exactly the same thing. Actually I already am doing the same thing. But still, they should think of what this might do to Lucy.

I just took a deep breath to calm myself. I needed to remind myself that I was holding Lucy. She's still unconscious after we –I had to admit that it was also my fault- drained her magical energy. I'm just glad that she's okay. The stunt the other spirits pulled could've _killed _her. I winced at the word, because it was true. I was trying to tell the other spirits to go the hell back to the Celestial Realm when Lucy collapsed. I was scared to death that I swore I could've just stayed there yelling her name… if it wasn't for that book.

_The book…_I thought. _The book that _I _got her. The book that was the cause of all this trouble. So in other words, it's all your fault, Loki. _

I just know that Lucy will freak out once she wakes up. She already told me about the trouble this book could get us into. And _voila_, it has proven itself dangerous. But the real trouble for me was about to come. When Lucy wakes up, she –along with the other spirits, of course- is gonna hate me for getting her this gift. She's probably—no. She's _definitely _gonna want to break our contract. I'll be punished by the Stellar Spirit King for endangering my master… again! I guess he won't deprive me of going to the Celestial Realm since he already tried that. His time he'll probably let me live with my failure. Other spirits will hate me and be disgusted of what I've done. Girls won't date me, other guys will want to beat me up –but won't succeed of course- and even kids will laugh at me.

But worst of all, I'll probably never see Lucy again. Which means she'll move on with her life without me being a part of it. Which means I'm just gonna be a random character in a chapter of her life. Scratch that! She'll probably forget me. Be ignorant to the fact that I even exist. Which means she's gonna be safe and happy and perfect… _without me_. Which means _she's never gonna love me. _

I tried to swallow the lump in my throat as I pondered about my realization. _Once again, I managed to single-handedly ruin my master. Way to go Loki! _I thought to myself.

I stared at Lucy, trying to tune out the other who were bickering and blaming themselves and… err… asking for punishments for what they've done. She looked so peaceful. Is this the last time that I'm going to be able to see her? Eventhough I feared her reaction when she wakes up, I couldn't help but wish that she would just wake up. _Please… wake up…_

The others continued blabbering, which is definitely not helping. I grabbed Lucy closer to my chest to remind myself to keep calm. I couldn't let the lion in me lose control and just pick a fight with my comrades. But I guess silencing with a lecture wasn't _that_ bad, so…

"Would you guys just _shut the hell up_?! You're not helping Lucy by being annoying!" I yelled, then continued. "Cancer, get your scissors away from Lucy. You might hurt her." I then turned to the bullsh- I mean bull spirit. Taurus, this is _not_ the perfect time for you to be a pervert! Virgo and Aries, no one wants to punish you, blame you or PUNISH YOU for anything!" My glare stayed with Virgo the most. "And if you want to be a freak, do it somewhere else, Aquarius!" I saw a vein pop in her head but I won't let that stop me. "And Plue, you should just stop worrying. Gemi, Mini and Capricorn are right. Lucy's gonna be okay." My voice softened on that last sentence. I brushed a lock of Lucy's hair away from her face and continued, "She has to be…"

With that, everyone was quiet. The only sound came from the forest surrounding the meadow we were in. We should at least get Lucy to a much better place, but we just didn't want to encounter anyone that may result to us changing the present time. After a few more minutes of silence the annoying sea-witch just couldn't help but complain as she did when we first got here.

"This is just so stupid! Thanks a lot, Loki. Because of you, Scorpio and I had to cancel our date" she said annoyed. I should've just let it go, but I didn't have any intention to be nice.

"You're very welcome, you fish! And I should get used to having canceled dates if I were you, since Scorpio is gonna find out that you're a mentally disturbed tuna soon enough" I grinned at her smugly.

"Don't you dare tell Scorpio about my attitude!" She shrieked at me. "And besides," she continued. "You can't blame me for stating the fact this _is_ your fault! We told you to get Lucy a present, _not_ a ticket to being trapped in the past. You should at least know what your actions would lead to. It's the responsible thing to do, which the Zodiac Leader should at least look into."

_Wow, she really is good at this, _I thought because she nailed me to the ground. Being responsible was a must for a Zodiac Leader. That's why I even went to extreme limits just to protect my comrade, Aries. I was supposed to be responsible. With that, I knew I lost. I guess there's no point in arguing with her. If only she would shut up… but I guess that was just too much to hope for when it's Aquarius.

She huffed and continued to destroy me. "Or maybe, you're just not fit to be our leader" she crossed her arms theatrically. "Heck, you might not even be fit to be a man for Lucy. How sad" she ended her sentence by mockingly pouting at me like she was insulting a little kid.

_That's it!_ The rage slowly built up inside of me. My vision was suddenly highlighted with crimson that even the stupid fish woman's hair turned purple. I might've looked crazy there and then, because from the corner of my eye, I could see the other spirits backing away uneasily. _I don't care anymore. I'm gonna fry this stinkin' fish! _I told myself. I let the rage envelope me. Of course I never forgot that Lucy was still in my arms, so I grabbed her tighter close to me. Letting go of her would be a better idea but I couldn't help but feel possessive. I am a lion after all.

"_I am going to KILL YOU!" _It always felt so disturbing when I growl, but this was an exception. It made me feel more powerful.

"Oh no, the little kitty cat's real angry at me now. What ever shall I do?" she said with fake fear using a shrill tone in her voice, then snorted. "Oh please!"

"You… little… b-"

"Nnh…L-Loki..?" the sudden sound of Lucy's voice stopped me from yelling out profanities at Aquarius. I looked down at her and saw her gorgeous chocolate crown eyes staring back at me. With just that, I, along with my rage suddenly disappeared like a bubble as I got lost in her eyes… Until the other spirits –except the psychopathic fish of course- tackled us to the ground, then I was back to reality, being crushed by the weight of these people… animals… spirits? Well… whatever they all were.

"Lucy-san!"

"Princess!"

"Lucy-sama!"

"Lucy, ebi"

"Lucy-chan, piriri"

"Ugh. She's finally awake. Oh joy!"

"Pu-puun!"

She's awake. _She's awake!_ I breathed a sigh of relief. Lucy's okay. She's safe.

"Lucy…" I whispered. She smiled sadly as she read the worry in my expression. Her eyes seemed… apologetic. And to my surprise, I was right.

"Sorry… for making you guys worry" she said in a soft tone, still thick of sleep.

_Oh for heaven's sake! _An apology? Seriously? She's apologizing. Damn, I felt like dying of guilt right now!

"It's okay, Lucy-sama. The important thing is that you're okay. We're the ones who should apologize for being careless" Capricorn said politely.

"Princess, please punish me until you have fully forgiven me!" Virgo sobbed.

Lucy sweat-dropped a bit, but suddenly became serious. She gasped as she remembered the thing that I feared would be the reason of me losing, yet another master.

"The book! What happened to Memory Days?" she asked.

The other spirits exchanged glances with one another, but in the end, their eyes flickered to me. _Total betrayal, _I thought to myself. This was gonna be hard. Lucy stared as she waited for my explanation. I didn't say anything. I _couldn't_ say anything. I looked away, trying to avoid her gaze. It felt painful that I was the cause of all this. Lucy -as always- knows what's going on. She probably felt the guilt I felt. So she broke the silence.

"We're back in time, aren't we?" her question was directed towards the others, not me. I breathed a bit as she let me take my time to explain.

Capricorn answered her question as he handed her the book. "I'm afraid so, Lucy-sama. But we still don't know the time we're in. We let Scorpio find a town nearby to-"

"Wait, what?! Even Scorpio is here? If that's the case, then I'm supposed to be dead by now. And… uhmm…" she sighed and bit her lip, holding her head. "Could you guys give me the full story, please?"

With that everyone started blabbering what happened in their own perspective. Each one of them yelling, trying to overpower the others' voices. It was annoying. Lucy cleared her throat but everyone was just too busy.

"YOU GUYS, SHUT UP!" I yelled. I regretted the action when I felt Lucy tremble under my arms. I just murmured an apology and sighed. "Whoever knows the whole story should talk."

Everyone was quiet and standing still… then Plue took a step forward and started talking… well, sort of.

"Puu… pu pu puun pun, pun pun. Pun-a pun puuuun pun nuh pun. Puunn, pun pun puun pun-"

I just stopped Plue. Sure he knew the whole story, but the reason of this was to make Lucy understand… not culture-shock the blonde girl. Plue then took a step backward, shaking as usual, leaving Lucy dumbfounded in my arms.

"Maybe we should all tell the story, but not all at the same time" I said. Everyone seemed to agree so I started.

I took a deep breath but Lucy stopped me.

"Uhh… Loki..?" she murmured shyly.

"Hmm?" I gave her a questioning look.

"Before you begin explaining… could you please… put me down" she looked away, probably trying to hide the blush in her cheeks. _Too late,_ I thought.

I chuckled as I stood up, still carrying her bridal-style and let her down carefully. She stood on her own but I kept an arm around her waist unless she needed support. I smiled as I felt her shiver at my touch. She smiled at me and sat down on the cool, dry grass, noticing that she was wearing my tuxedo that reached down to her mid-thigh, when she tucked it under her legs. Hey, I was a playboy when it comes to girls, but Lucy was a whole different thing. I put it on her when she was unconscious since she was still wrapped with a towel. She blushed a little as she thanked me. She then looked at me expectantly and I sat back down to start over.

"I'm not sure if you remember, but after I gave you the book, _you hugged me" _She rolled her eyes at me so I continued. "Cancer and Aries showed up since they were curious of what I got you. They were followed by Virgo, Taurus and the twins, saying they felt you were crying. That's when I tried to stop them but then Aquarius, Scorpio and Plue with Capricorn, who knew you were at your limit appeared and we caught you just in time when you crashed… but we forgot about the book, so…" I trailed off. The others continued from where I left of.

"The book fell from your hands, emitting a blinding light as it dropped on the floor. We kept close to you to ensure your safety. Before we knew it we were in the middle of this forest" Virgo said with a serious face. She then looked at Aries who added the continuation.

"Loki-sama, told us that he gave you a book named Memory Days… And then, Capricorn-sama told us of its power… we then realized that we were sent back in time, but as he said, we do not know when, so we sent Scorpio-sama to at least find out where we are… We then waited for you to wake up and…" her voice also trailed off and her eyes went to Taurus, who was probably expecting to be left out of the storytelling thing. In truth, I actually hoped the same since he was pretty much of an idiot.

"Uh, yeah!" Taurus then cleared his throat and tried to think of what to tell Lucy. I groaned as he just looked at Lucy's face, then his eyes slowly went lower and lower, tracing her body.

"Taurus!" we all yelled at him.

"Oh, sorry. Uh…we were waiting for you to wake up, then… oh yeah! Then Loki and Aquarius started fighting about all of this being Loki's fault, canceling her date with Scorpio. They also fought about tuna, kitty cats and Zodiac Leader… something-something… and murdering one another. Hahaha! It was hilarious. I wish you were awake to see it, Lucy-chan!" the stupid bull continued to laugh by himself.

We all exchanged glances. It was easy to know what the others were thinking. We all thought the same thing, including Lucy.

_Yup! He's hopeless._

"Anyways…" Lucy tried to ignore the bull rolling on the ground, laughing. "Why am I still alive? I mean, there are ten of you right now with me. And can't you guys go back to the Celestial Realm?" she asked.

"It seems that the rule of the book applies even to stellar spirits like us. We can all only go back after the six-hour time limit. And it's also seems that our appearances all at the same time does not affect you and our own selves because of the time we're in. Maybe it is simply because we still haven't made a contract with you in this time" Capricorn explained. He's always the professional one… unlike that stupid bull.

Lucy pondered for a bit on the goat spirit's explanation, and smiled. "Interesting!" we all stared at her with raised eyebrows. "Oh. I don't mean the being stranded-in-the-past interesting. I'm just amazed that I could see almost all of my spirits at the same time" she grinned, and who were we to deny smiles and grins as a response. We loved Lucy way too much.

"How long was I out?" the beautiful blonde asked worriedly.

"About half an hour or so" I replied.

"I wonder what year we're in…" she muttered.

"You tell me, love. Capricorn told me that the book transports you to the last place and time you were reminiscing" I told her sweetly. She groaned at my endearment but there was no mistaking the warmth spreading through her cheeks. "Well? What were you trying to remember?" I asked.

"I don't really remember. I was trying to remember a time when I felt so weak… but even I can't. It's just so hazy" she answered tiredly. She leaned back against the tree behind her and closed her eyes.

A minute passed by and I heard rustling in the bushes. I instantly positioned myself in a fighting stance in front of Lucy. My senses were more sensitive, which is why the others only noticed when they heard the building growl in my throat, while I stared at the bushes. The others –and I mean the reliable ones, which definitely does not include Taurus- also waited for the incoming person. Then it was just twenty yards away from where I stand, so I let go of a spine-chilling growl.

"Woah! Chill, dude. It's just me, Scorpio. Okay?" Scorpio said cautiously as he approached us with both his hands before him. Knowing there wasn't any danger, I shifted back to my normal stance, putting my hands in my pockets.

"Hey, Scorpio. I thought you were someone else" I said as if I didn't almost try to murder him just now.

And that's the cue of the crazy tuna…

"Scorpio!" Aquarius squealed in her lovey-dovey tone. _Bleeh!_ It really was disgusting.

I made a face as he embraced the freaky fish woman disguising as a sweet girlfriend. I really wanted to tell Scorpio, but their relationship doesn't really concern me so… I just shrugged it off.

"Well?" I waited for the spirit's report, that earned me a glare from his fish.

"There's no town nearby… because we're already inside a vast estate owned by a rich family or something. It's pretty big. With its mansion, and a few hills and fields with workers in it" he grinned.

_I guess we better go there then_, I thought.

"Let's go!" I said. With everyone agreeing with me, I helped Lucy up and we went on our way to the find out what place and time we were in…


	3. Year 777

**Hey you guys! Sorry for the long wait. But hey, you can't blame me! I'm sick. And... I look horrible! -sobs-**

**B-But anyways... -sniff- the point here is I wanna thank you guys for reading and leaving reviews. I really appreciate it. **

**_GuardianAngel1234567:_ Thanks for the reviews. And yes, Layla and Capricorn are pretty much gonna be involved in this story.**

**_GirlyGeek43:_ Sorry about that. I'll just try it in the next chapter. I just thought that the japanese honorifics help the readers know whom is whom. Each spirit has their own way of addressing Lucy, but if it sucks I'll prevent myself in doing such a thing :)**

**_ 2.0: _Yeah! lol. Happy is usually like that but he's not a part of this story. Sorry... But he'll surely be a part of the other stories I'm about to make. (Oh yeah! Keep your heads up people. I'm currently writing other stories XD )**

**To the other guests and readers, thank you. I'm glad you like it. It means a lot to me since this is my first fanfic. **

**Anyway, enough about that and let's get to the story. This chapter reveals the time they got themselves into. Just to remind you guys that I classified this as _drama_, so... drama it is! Though I think I overdid it... Did I?! I need reviews! .**

* * *

_**Lucy's POV**_

We've been walking in this forest for just a few minutes. Scorpio said it was a pretty long walk to the mansion he was talking about. The other spirits were pretty annoyed of Scorpio's lack of information about the place, but he defended himself saying that there were too many people moving around and he didn't want to do anything that might change the present time. All he knew was that a wealthy family owned the vast land, including this forest we were in. We really didn't have any idea of where we are so we might as well find out. We continued to follow the path that Scorpio went through before.

Actually, everything was familiar. It seems that the trees, the sky, the scent and even the feel of the breeze were a part of a distant memory that was slowly coming back to me. _Well it should be. This is my past since I was the one holding the book, _I thought. I just didn't want to say it, but I already had a hunch of where we are. I'm thinking that the wealthy family Scorpio was talking about was, well… mine. I just wanted to make sure. With that solved, I just continued to wonder what time we were in. And it seemed that we all had the same question in mind…

"Well, Lucy, do you remember the last memory you thought of before we got here?" I was startled back to reality when Loki whispered in my ear. He noticed the change of color in my cheeks which made him chuckle to himself. I shrugged of my embarrassment and shook my head to answer his question.

"It's okay," he encouraged me after seeing the sadness in my expression. "That's what we're trying to find out anyway" he added with a smile.

_Darn it! I hate it when he smiles like that. It makes me wanna smile too. _And I did.

Aquarius groaned from behind us. "Actually, we wouldn't _need _to know where we are if _someone _wasn't such a screw up" she said in a shrill voice. I looked over at my shoulder to see Aquarius, shooting daggers at Loki's back. She then suddenly changed her tone to sickly sweet when she continued, "But I guess everyone makes mistakes. And we can't all be so responsible. So I guess that just makes _everything_ peachy…" she batted her eyes theatrically as she stared back at her boyfriend, who was ignorant to the fact that she was psychologically torturing my lion spirit.

I just sighed since I was unable to make her shut up anyway. I just wished the mermaid would stop tormenting Loki for his mistake. He didn't know that things would lead to this. I felt pity for Loki since he has to put up with her insults. He's been apologizing to me since we started walking. I could see guilt and shame break through his sweet playboy façade while he walked next to me. It was painful for me to see him like this. I gripped the troublesome book tighter, my nails leaving marks on the cover as I let all my frustration go. I just hope he will feel better soon.

"Lucy-sama, I may have a theory of where we are" Capricorn said as he looked back at me. The other spirits then looked at him.

"Moo- Really? Where are we?" Taurus asked.

"Since this is Lucy-sama's memories, I'm thinking this is her home. The Heartphilia Estate" he smiled politely at me.

I smiled at him gratefully. Capricorn already knew that I wasn't oblivious to this fact. Heck, I was the daughter of such a smart woman that it would only be natural that I would be highly intelligent too, of course. He just chimed in to break the silence and probably fulfill my mental wish to lessen Loki's depression, which seemed to work since the Zodiac Leader was turning back to his normal self again.

"Wonderful! Then that means we're all going to see a younger version of our lovely Lucy-chan. I hope I can maintain myself for not stealing her first kiss…" he said in an alluring voice, eyes completely focused on me.

I narrowed my eyes at him but the blush on my cheeks were too obvious, so I just looked away with an arrogant –hmph!-. With that, I heard him chuckle along with the other spirits.

Conversations were made on our way to my former home. Loki seemed to loosen up more and more as we talked. Aries told me of how worried she was about me with her sweet, feather-soft voice… or maybe wool-soft voice. Then Virgo asking for punishment since she thought chiming into our conversation was such a crime. The pervy bull half-talked and half-stared –but I guess it was mostly stare- hungrily at my body that made me think that getting proper clothes would be first on my list once we arrived to our destination. He did tell me the happenings that occurred while I was asleep. The gibberish he spouted about Aquarius and Loki fighting were actually true –though it seemed that he left out a few parts since the mermaid didn't want Scorpio to know how demented she actually is- and it was pretty hilarious. We all couldn't stop laughing when Taurus told the part about Loki calling Aquarius a "mentally disturbed tuna". Scorpio really didn't get what it meant but laughed along, with Aquarius trying her best to smile and join our laughter while she was in his arms.

_We are all going to be drowned to death by her after all this… _we all thought the same thing.

After a few more minutes of walking, the bushes started to grow thinner and we knew we finally arrived. We all stepped out of the forest, taking in the scene before us. _Yup! It was my home. _We were on the far side of my family's land, near the fields of crops. We looked farther and saw the center of the estate where our mansion stood. I heard whispers of awe and astonishment as they gazed at the beauty of my home in the past.

"Your home is very lovely, Lucy-sama" Aries whispered shyly with a smile. I smiled back at her and the others as they gazed at our land.

"But doesn't this place seem too… empty, ebi?" Cancer was right.

I didn't notice it but no one was around right now. There were no workers in the fields or harvesters in the orchards and forest. Everything was still lovely of course, but everyone was missing. I felt confused.

"It seems they all gathered at the middle of the estate. Near the mansion" Loki pointed out my house far away that seemed to be surrounded by ants from our perspective. I realized that those ants were actually the people.

"Oh, you're right!" I wondered for a bit and gasped. "Maybe this was a memory of my birthday, since there seems to be a commotion down there" I said cheerfully.

"Yay! Happy Birthday, Lucy-san" Taurus cheered, and then started running towards me for a hug, staring fully at my chest in the process. _Oh no!_

Before I could even slap him away, Loki already sent him flying with a punch so the stupid cow wouldn't come close to me. I know I should feel sorry but it really was funny. We all started to walk downhill, ignoring Taurus. He could just catch up… or maybe not. We passed a little house when we reached the foot of the hill. It was fairly familiar when seen from afar. Virgo instantly went to the back of the house and grabbed some clothes for me to wear. I know that stealing was bad but I just tolerated her action when I saw the clothes. She got me a lovely, plain, white dress. I just knew it was made for me.

"Aren't you guys going to change clothes too?" I noticed that I was the only one getting clothes.

"We're spirits, Lucy-chan. Eventhough we couldn't go back to the Celestial Realm, we could still use our abilities, such as changing our form- piriri!" Gemi and Mini said in unison.

I forgot about that. Being with my spirits for just a few minutes made me feel like it was natural. Like they were nakama. And of course they were. Because for me, spirits are people. People who are now a part of my family. I smiled at the thought.

"Anyway, I'm just gonna change clothes, okay?" I called out as I approached the house.

"Will you need any help?" Loki said with a seductive tone in his voice.

I don't know how since my back was facing him, but I swear I could feel his stare pierce through my soul… or maybe just through my clothes. It sent a current through my spine. I just kept walking, not bothering to turn back at him. I felt embarrassed enough.

"No thanks, Loki" I said then closed the door behind me.

I just put the book down on a table. I quickly took of Loki's tux and unwrapped my towel. I slipped in to the dress and sighed with relief as I figured out that it fit me perfectly, although it was a little tight on the chest part it's so troublesome to have a gorgeous body-. I just took the book and Loki's tux, left the towel –I had another one back at home anyway- then opened the door to face the others. I was flattered by their reactions of awe and amazement -but felt quite disturbed by the annoying cow drooling as he stared at me-, but Loki's stare stood out the most. He just stood there and stared at me with astonishment -but not in a bad way- as I gave his tuxedo back. His stare seemed like he was just another guy who finally found the girl he wanted to spend forever with—wait! Whoa, whoa, _whoa! _

_Stop right there Lucy Heartphilia! What the hell are you thinking?! _I scolded myself mentally. I must be going insane! I settled myself with a breath to stop the heat spreading on my cheeks. Ugh! I can't!

"Beautiful…" Loki breathed, seemingly in a daze as he stared at me. That comment really didn't help me hide my flustered face. _Oh well._

"Thanks" I said softly then turned to Capricorn to distract myself. "How long have we already been here?" I just wanted to make sure that we don't miss our time-limit.

"About two hours already" he said. Wow, time flies so fast.

"I guess we should get going then"

I stared at the others to see their approval, and found myself dumbstruck. Was I hallucinating? Or does Aquarius really have legs right now? The mermaid's royal blue tail disappeared, replaced by long slender legs. She was also wearing a gorgeous blue gown with a slit reaching up to her upper-thigh. Also beside her was Scorpio without his tail, wearing a suit the same as Capricorn's, although he left the first two buttons of his shirt open. Aries also lost her horns and wore a pink-wool dress which was longer than her usual. Behind her was Cancer who just lost his uh… crab legs but kept his usual attire. While the others like Virgo, Capricorn, the twins, Taurus, Plue and Loki just remained in their usual form. They noticed my appraised look and explained.

"It will be better if we were all presentable in case we encounter other people" Capricorn stated.

"Yes, and we really want to look perfect since it is Lu-chan's birthday!" Aquarius giggled cheerfully.

_Wow, that was creepy… and disgusting_. I thought to myself as I sweat-dropped. I could see the other spirits' disgust for the mermaid's acting as well. Seriously?! Did she really just call me Lu-chan? She assessed the grimace all over my face and shot me a bloodcurdling glare when Scorpio just happened to look away for a second, then smiled sweetly when he looked back. I had to hand it to her; she was real good at pretending. I shook my head to stop doing things that might lead to her hating me more.

"Actually, it's just a hunch" I said cautiously and turned to look at them. "I'm not sure if it's my birthday. But surely something's going on down there. Do you guys really think we should go there? I mean, what if we do something wrong that might alter the future? Present. Whatever!" I said worriedly.

"It's certain that we could all go back anyway" Virgo spoke then smiled, "so we might as well enjoy reminiscing this memory with you, if that is okay with the Princess, of course."

Her politeness and my permission really weren't necessary. Of course they could come with me. I nodded at my loyal maid spirit, smiling.

We then continued, but this time, we ran. I really felt so useless. They had to slow up their stride just because of me, so I quickened up my pace. It really was fun. We must have seemed like kids, racing towards the mansion. Taurus was running real fast… so he could get away from Virgo that was trying to murder him. The bull tried to hit on me again and the maid spirit didn't take it too lightly. Gemi and Mini were just floating around and laughing at the maid and the cow. Cancer and Capricorn –who was carrying Plue in his shoulders- followed from behind, watching over all of us with smiles on their faces. Aquarius and Scorpio were chasing one another as if they were in a cheesy movie. Believe me, the scene made me want to throw up -I felt sorry for the scorpion spirit for being so oblivious to his girlfriend's devious side-. I, on the other hand, was running with Aries. With our arms linked together -the same way when Levi-chan and I are together- and our dresses fluttering in the wind. It was nice spending time with her. No wonder Loki took care of her so much. She was like a little sister that I've always wanted. And speaking of which, Loki was the most quiet of all. He was probably still sulking. I wish he wouldn't. He just smiled, grinned and commented at our conversations. Well he did suggest carrying me instead of running, which I declined immediately.

We arrived at the center pavilion at about sunset. The fiery colors made my past home look so magical. There was a stream of people going in from the main gate. We instantly mixed in with the crowd. Chatters and murmurs filled the air. Though for some reason, the conversations were pretty empty and… heavy. There was a melancholic feel to everything. And I wasn't the first to notice.

"Lucy, I think I have an idea of what day it is…" I was surprised as Loki whispered. I didn't notice that he was beside me.

"Loki, how many times do I have to tell you not to whisper in my ear like that" I whispered, annoyed as I rubbed my right ear.

"Sorry, Lucy, but I really think this is-"

"N-Ne, Lucy-sama! Please wait…nnh" Aries was having a hard time going through the crowd. I took a few steps back, reached for her hand and pulled her next to me.

"Are you alright?" I asked her.

"Y-Yes. Sorry" she whispered in her soft voice. I patted her head and smiled, which she returned back to me.

"Ugh. I didn't know there was a dress code to this thing. I should've dressed up in white or black. We're sticking out like a sore thumb!" Aquarius was suddenly behind us next to Scorpio.

"Huh? What do you mean, Aqua?" I asked Aquarius, she half-smiled, half-gritted at the nickname I gave her. I was chancing her attitude while I can. I heard the others giggle –we were actually real close to one another despite the crowd- as Aquarius struggled to maintain her composure.

"I-I mean look at these people, L-Lu-chan" she stuttered as her eye twitched furiously. Scorpio, on the other hand, was happy about our seemingly true friendship.

I looked around us. She was right. Only a few people wore different colors, and they were mostly children. But all of the visitors were wearing black and white. The men wore suits and tuxedos, while the women wore dresses and hats, covering their expressions which seemed… distraught. In pain. Suffering. But most of all, _grieving. _

Then it just hit me hard. So hard that my knees buckled from under me when a woman in the crowd bumped into my shoulder. My spirits were the first ones to react when I fell. People hovered over me, asking me if I was okay. Then I felt a familiar touch pull me up. It was Loki. He instantly checked my arms and legs, trying to see if I had any injuries. He started panicking when I just gazed far away. I was too frozen at the moment so he had to carry me out of the crowd. I thought about yelling at him but I couldn't. He grabbed me tight as he went through the sea of people, glaring at any person who blocked his way. I remembered that the others might lose track of us in the stream of people, but saw them when I looked over Loki's shoulder. With the kind of expressions they were wearing –worry, hurt and guilt-, they could easily fit into the crowd. How could I be so careless? I couldn't let my spirits see me like this, but it was too late. I already put them in pain. We finally got through the crowd and Loki put me down on a bench, with white-rose bushes behind it._ Mother's favorite flowers, _I thought.

"Lucy? Can you hear me? Are you alright? Please talk to me" Loki was frantically wiping the tears from my cheeks. _Why won't my tears stop falling? _I was hurting everyone too much by just being like this.

"Loki…" I managed to say. "Do you really think…?" I couldn't finish the question. I didn't want to finish the question. _Because I didn't want to believe it._

Loki continued to brush my tears away, along with some of my hair blocking my face. He was quiet for a while. Even he couldn't say it. "Lucy… I…" If he couldn't answer my question, then I would.

I pushed him away from me and stood up. I marched up to the mansion, but then broke out to a sprint. I could feel the tears drying up. I went and joined the crowd again, but this time I pushed myself forward, ignoring the complaints and gasps I heard from the other people. Besides that, I also heard the pursuit of my spirits as they shouted my name. Loki was the closest since he was just at my side, easily matching the speed of my stride. He didn't speak or do anything to stop me. He knows that it was better for things to be like this. I could see the mansion fully now. _Just a little further… _and I was there.

I saw more people crying, sitting in rows of chairs divided into two. I saw more flowers. All of them white roses… and then I saw a coffin. It was the reason why everyone was here, the reason why there weren't any workers, the reason of why everything was black and white, the reason for all the tears and sadness… and the reason why I cried from the very spot where I stood.

The last memory I was trying to remember was me being weak, me losing a parent, me not wanting to wake up anymore. And this was it.

_This was the day my mom died, in the year of 777_. And with that realization, I burst into tears. I cried loudly, my sobs blending in with the other mourners' cries. I felt Loki's hands on my shoulders. I turned around and buried my face into his chest. He embraced me tightly, rubbing my arms as I continued to cry.

"Y-you already knew, didn't you..?" My words were muffled as I spoke into his shirt. "Th-This… This was what you… -sob- were trying to say before, -sob- weren't you?" I finished.

"I… I am so sorry, Lucy. I really am" I heard Loki's voice broke at the last sentence. I felt water dripping on my shoulder, but I didn't need to know that my ginger-haired spirit was crying with me. To let him see me like this was a much more painful torture than Aquarius' insults. I felt more hands patting my back, felt more tears touch my skin and heard more sobs synchronize with mine. I'm such a horrible master.

For minutes we just stood there, trying to comfort me and their own selves. We just ignored the stares and attention we were gaining. I knew I had to stop. I've already gotten through this when I was a kid. I was able to cope by knowing my mom was always there, I saw her wherever I go. I thought I was crazy back then, so I just kept it to myself. After a minute, my crying eased up –Loki's shirt was already drenched in tears- so I tried to take a peek at the mansion.

This time I wasn't able to see the other things going on. My eyes focused on something different. Just behind the coffin and roses, she was sitting on the set of stairs in front of the house, wearing a frilly black dress and a black ribbon on her hair. The little girl's eyes were filled with the same tears and sadness mine had as she looked straight at me. We lost the same thing, but our feelings were different. Hers was much more painful. Because she was just a child…_ I _was just a child.

We locked eyes for a moment. Her teary, chocolate-brown eyes widened for a second then went back to being filled with despair. As I watched_ my younger self _burst into tears when she saw me, I didn't try to hold myself back and did the same…

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**Well? Was it horrible? Too dramatic. There's much more drama coming up on the next chapter. Loki's POV. Still not finished writing it... but I'm trying my best so it won't be such an eyesore...**

**Please leave reviews. It would make me feel much better... Arigatou~ -bows-**


	4. Little Lucy Heartphilia

I know what you guys are gonna say... Ciel so annoying. Ciel's so slow when it comes to updates. Ciel's new chapter sucks... blah... blah... BLAH!

Well, I'm sorry. But please try to understand. I got sick remember? And my teachers are insane! Bombarding us with exams and projects. I'm just 15 years old, people! Take it easy! And I already have an upcoming entrance exam this Sunday! Somebody save me! -cries hysterically-

-settles myself with a breath-

Well, I guess that's my problem anyway. So here it is! Chapter Four: Little Lucy Heartphilia, consists an old and dark forgotten memory of Lucy...

Lucy's kind of a Cinderella here... Or at least I think she is.

Whatever! I do not own Fairy Tail... unfortunately! -sheds a tear-

before you guys read the story, try and answer a little the little quiz I made (hey, I shouldn't be the only one suffering with the exams...)

**~POP QUIZ~ **

_Let's see if you guys have the same path of imagination I have! Guess the answer. It's okay to make mistakes, be creative. Exams first, story after for the correct answers!_

_1) I made a character in this chapter. Her name is Yureka. The question: who is she supposed to be?! o.O_

_2) Lucy met one of her mother's past spirits in this chapter. Which one? Aquarius, Cancer or Capricorn?_

_3) Back to Yureka. What do you guys think about her power? Guess what it is! _

You guys could just tell me what you think by reviewing my story. I really appreciate comments. So please add more reviews... I need inspiration and moral support over here! And to the ones who already gave reviews, arigatou~ -bows-

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Loki's POV

I kept holding onto Lucy as we stood in the middle of the crowd. I couldn't bear to let go of her. Because as much as I loved Lucy's beautiful eyes, I simply couldn't stare at them right now. I didn't want to see her tears, when I knew that I caused them to appear in the first place. I didn't want to see her heartbroken and suffering expression, because I was supposed to prevent her from encountering such feelings and make her happy instead.

_I just wanted to make her happy… I tried… I wanted her to smile again, to forget about the time and people she lost in those seven years… I tried. I really did…_

…_But you screwed up… _a small voice interjected my thoughts. _You tried, but you simply weren't good enough. And now you entirely destroyed her… _the words echoed inside my mind and it hurt!

Everything I did was just so wrong! Before I tried to protect Aries, but killed Karen in the process. And now, Lucy lost her dad through the seven years, so I tried to make her happy with a gift. But I ended up sending her back to a time when she lost her mom._ How stupid could I get?! _

And now I didn't just hurt Lucy. I even hurt the other spirits. And I even hurt my own self –though it doesn't really matter now-. We all cried with her –even Aquarius shed her own tears- and held onto her as if we were holding to our own lives. And we really were. Our lives revolved around our master when we met her. I felt her crying ease up a bit. I thought it was over, but she cried some more when she saw something… _someone_. I followed her gaze and saw her… the _younger her_, crying as she stared back at us. The ten-year old Lucy then stood up came running in our direction, eyes focused on her older self.

That's when I pulled my own sobbing Lucy back to my arms, telling the other spirits to hide from the little girl by going into the crowd. We all walked back through the sea of people, and then hid on the side of the mansion in the huge garden filled with more flowers and plants, since there were no people there. We hid behind some bushes, knowing that the younger Lucy continued to follow us. Our own master tried to muffle her sobs so we won't be found.

"Is she still there?" Taurus asked from behind me. His question was then answered after a few seconds when the blonde little girl appeared, panting heavily due to her running and crying. We watched her through the bushes as she knelt down on the ground to sob some more.

"Mom..?" I heard her whisper between choking sobs. I was confused. Why was she looking for Layla-san when she was… _gone?_

"When I was a child, I didn't tell anybody, but I saw Mom a lot of times… With that, I knew she was there… watching me. But now I get it… that wasn't my mom. It was me all along!" Lucy explained to us but mostly to herself.

The other spirits hovered on her and this time she grabbed on to Aries and the others, leaving me alone looking through the bushes with my back facing them. I continued to watch the crying little girl. I didn't want to be a part of this conversation. But my hearing was too good...

"Lucy, please... Everything is going to be okay. We're all just going to stay here until the time-limit ends..." Capricorn's voice was emotionless instead of soothing. It scared me.

"But I... don't want to wait anymore! I want to go back. I don't want this. I never wanted this!" she cried. Each word stabbed me to the extent that I got used to the pain and just felt numb. I didn't even know I was crying with her until I noticed that my sight was getting blurry. I took of my glasses and prevented myself from making any sound - I didn't have the right to be weak now- and continued to listen.

"I know... We all know... And we all never wanted this to happen..." Capricorn's voice sounded shaken.

The goat spirit has always been a professional but right now his words shook. Layla was his master and now he's seeing his new master break down. We were all connected and I felt his thoughts. He felt failure and _disgust for his own self_... or maybe the last one was what i felt. I had so much hatred for who I am. I wished Lucy hadn't met me, that she didn't save me from the brink of disappearing. Then maybe she'd be okay. Their cries were synchronized, the saddest melody the world would ever hear. The most heart-breaking sound, that could kill me from where I knelt... but I heard another familiar voice.

"There you are..." I blinked my tears away and focused on my eyes to the scene at the other side of the bushes. The other's attention also turned to the little girl and the person who stalked her.

"Your name is... Lucy, right?" the past Aquarius asked the child crying before her. Little Lucy just nodded as she stared back at the mermaid.

We all stared at our very own water-bearing spirit who wore a sad expression.

"Eventhough, Layla wasn't my master anymore when she... passed away" she gulped before saying the words. "I still wanted to see her, because she was special, along with her daughter who I had an obligation to look after" Aquarius said, this time she was sincere. She looked away, avoiding her blonde master's eyes. Lucy smiled sadly at her spirit's words. We all looked back at the old memory in front of us.

"You're... Aquarius. You were one of the spirit's Mother had a contract with..." she stated quietly which received her a small smile. "Why're you here..?" Lucy turned away as she felt more tears coming.

"Before your mother freed me from our contract, she made me and the others promise, that in any case that you need us... -or even if you don't- we must look after you" the younger Aquarius bent down and wiped away her tears. Lucy sniffed and gave her mother's past spirit a smile.

"Aquarius! Stop talking to that girl and get back already!" a woman's voice pierced through the calm conversation of the two. We all stared as another person joined the scene.

A young woman with dark hair that fell flawlessly straight down to her knees. Her bangs were long but not enough to cover her piercing red eyes. Her pupils seemed liked glowing. They were rather very scary. But all in all, she was pretty... though her attitude isn't included.

"Yureka, I was just looking for Lucy. She is Layla's daughter" the mermaid said as she stood straight and gestured to Lucy. The woman called Yureka appraised the little girl at her feet.

"Oh..." the woman breathed as she bent down to look closer at Lucy. She smiled at the little girl while she touched her cheeks. "You're that stupid woman's little girl!" she whispered at the blonde girl's ear. Yureka then slapped Lucy, causing the child to fall back to the ground.

Anger boiled inside of me. The rage could even be felt in the air as I heard my fellow spirits' slow, wild breathing. No, I guess that was me breathing loudly. I had to take in more air to compose myself and not kill that woman. I tried to look at Lucy. She stopped crying, but she seemed scared. She was trying not to pay attention to this old memory of hers. She already knew this. I could see in her eyes that she remembered it all too well. Even Aquarius buried her face in Scorpio's chest, grabbing him tightly and not wanting to let go. I think I saw a tinge of guilt in her eyes. And we're all about to know why...

"Yureka! Please don't hurt her!" Aquarius cried as she instantly went to Lucy's side. The mermaid embraced the crying blonde, trying to protect her.

Yureka burst out laughing. "Are you trying to protect that girl because of that deal you made with that Lilianne? You better stop it Aquarius and get ba-" the woman started to say.

"Layla" Lucy cut her off.

"What?" Yureka asked, daring Lucy to answer. Aquarius grabbed Lucy's shoulders in a poor attempt to stop her from talking.

"My mother, the woman Aquarius made a deal with. Her name is Layla!" the blonde yelled as she stood proudly. Her chocolate brown eyes glistening the same way with our own Lucy's eyes. Full of courage, faith and love. Our very own Lucy Heartphilia was in that little girl... but the moment I saw her, she was already gone.

The sound of a slap resounded in the air and the younger Lucy was thrown back to the ground. A growl was already building it's way up to my mouth, until I felt someone touch my shoulder. It was our Lucy. She stared deeply into my eyes and shook her head._ She wants me to keep watching? _To just let that red-eyed woman hurt her younger self? I can't! But I have to...

I once again looked back at the other side of the bushes, to see Aquarius begging for her master to stop. Yureka took out a key, raising it to the sky.

"Aquarius! Forced gate closure!" and with that, the water-spirit slowly disappeared. The dark haired woman instantly dropped down to the wet grass, panting heavily as she tried to settle herself. It seems that she's not strong enough like Lucy. A single forced closure tires her already. It would be so easy to destroy her... but I couldn't.

"Now... look what... you've done! You little brat!" Yureka yelled in between breaths. She struggled to stand up, cursing under her breath as she fell back. She succeeded at her second attempt and walked towards Lucy. She bent down and grabbed her face, squishing the little girls cheeks in the process.

"Listen to me, kid. Your mother had a deal with MY spirit that she will come back to you if you become a stellar spirit mage" Yureka said, her glowing red eyes gave more effect to her words. "So..." she continued. "You better not think of any plans to take Aquarius away from me, because I. Won't. Let. You" she pushed Lucy back, who started crying again. This time it was caused by fear.

Yureka stood up and turned to walk back to the mansion. After a few steps she looked back at Lucy and snorted.

"Oh, who am I kidding? A weak little pest like you can't possibly be someone like me. You're too much of a coward, anyway. Your life would be much better off without magic, don't you think? So, forget it!" and then Yureka was gone, finally leaving the little heiress alone.

I tore my eyes away from the scene since the younger version of Lucy started to cry again. It was painful enough that I made the present Lucy cry -along with my fellow spirits-, but I probably wouldn't be able to handle it seeing my master's ten-year old self suffer. I looked back at our own Lucy... but I regretted the action when I saw her. The eyes that I loved so much lost it's glow. Like the dark sky without a single star in sight. Her eyes were empty and looking far away, full of sadness and despair... but most of all, _they were avoiding mine_.

The pain was unbearable. I could pass out here and then. But I shouldn't. _I couldn't. _I need to fix this. Just getting back to the present won't be enough. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I left things like this. The sun was slowly disappearing._ Is this how things are going to be? _The moment I asked that to myself, I saw one of the rays of the sun hit Lucy's celestial keys, placed properly in her new case._ My key is probably gonna disappear from there once we get back to our own time. _I shook the thought away and focused on an object. The one that glimmered the most was the gold ring where she used to place our keys. It was still locked in her belt. It was shimmering but empty... just like this past. It was over already. And we all needed to accept that...

"Lucy," I first ones to look were the other spirits. She then looked at me with blank eyes. She almost looked like Virgo. I just shrugged it off and continued. "That ring, where did you get it?" I eyed the object that was still on her belt. She followed my gaze and looked at it sadly.

"I... don't remember. It was from someone, when I was a kid. I'm not sure what age, but... I always knew I had a promise with the person. I don't remember who he is though..." she said quietly.

_He? _So it was a guy. I thought it would be from her mom.

It was hard to say the words, since I didn't want to take more things from her. But I still did...

"Can I have it then..?" I asked her. The others looked at me like I was the worst person they've ever known. And maybe I was. But I had a good reason. Lucy didn't answer, she just looked away and ignored my question. Tears were threatening to spill from her eyes. I crawled -she was just a meter away from me- my way to sit next to her. I sighed then became quiet for a moment.

"I just thought we need to move on from the past" I said softly. She slowly tuned her head to look at me straight in the eyes. "Including the younger you..." I saw confusion cross her face, but then it turned to understanding.

She unhooked the ring from her belt and handed it to me. The ring wasn't as simple as I thought. It had small ornate patterns carved into it that can't be seen if you don't look closely. I held it in my hands and smiled. This ring once held the others spirits keys, including mine. But someone else needs it more... I then stood up and touched Lucy's head.

I clenched the ring tightly and braised myself for what's about to happen as I slowly walked towards little Lucy Heartphilia...

...

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Well? Reviews please! And wish me luck for my exams. I really need it! o.O


	5. A Promise Made

**Hey there, you guys! -sigh- **

**So tired. Actually I'm starting to get depressed. Maybe reviews and likes would help... heheh**

**Okay, so this is the fifth chapter. In this one, you'll all witness -or at least read XD) a forgotten yet very special meeting of Lucy and Loki. It's pretty much filled with drama, but hey! That's what categories are for. Don't worry. There's still sweet romance, tasty discoveries, sour fate, bitter separations... hmm.. this is making me hungry! And... Oh! A promise made by the princess and her prince. It's pretty long and I knew that it took me longer to update. Sorry! I just had trouble with my new fanfic, but I assure all of you that I will finish this story, with a innocent but still romantic flourish. lolz**

**So let's go people. Show some love for the author... I know I do~ hehe**

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Lucy's POV

What I felt right now was so heavy that I could just collapse and be squished by the pressure. I hated it! I tried to look at the person responsible._ I can't_. I wanted to yell at him._ I couldn't either_. I wanted to hurt him, slap him if I could._ But no, I couldn't._

Because when Loki looked back at me, I saw my own expression being mirrored in his eyes. I saw a _stranger_. A girl who had the same hair as me, same eyes, nose and lips... but she was _definitely_ not me. I unfocused my stare on Loki's gold eyes. This time I looked at Loki himself.

As I expected, he wasn't Loki anymore. He wasn't the playboy I met at Fairy Tail, who smirked and smiled whenever he saw me. He wasn't the mighty Zodiac Leader called Leo either, who stood proud and tall whenever he was summoned. I stared deeply into this man and realized... he was a stranger to me as well. He was a stranger desperately trying to hold back his emotions from being exposed. Feelings of despair, guilt, shame, fear, anger, more shame, sadness, suffering and much more hidden in those eyes.

_Could it be possible that he was more hurt than I was? _That what I felt was just a fragment of what he felt? He wasn't the one who lost a mother and father. He wasn't the one who was looked down upon, hurt and threatened by that Yureka woman. How dare he show such a weak expression! How dare he look at me directly for seconds, not flinching even once. _He didn't know how I felt!_

_Or maybe he does... _

The only reason why he felt like that was because of me. I caused that expression. I looked away, tried to look far away. He kept staring at my ring. The ring where I used to put my keys in. I don't use it anymore because I have a new one, but I still kept it with me. Because it was _special_... or at least I think it was. _Was it really?_

"Lucy" he spoke. His voice. It was hoarse and shaken. Did he know how his voice sounded right now? Probably not. He looked like he was in a daze. I turned my attention to him. I locked eyes with him for a moment, then he continued. "That ring, where did you get it?" he said while eyeing the ring on my belt.

It was a weird question but I still answered.

"I... don't remember. It was from someone, when I was a kid. I'm not sure what age, but... I always knew I had a promise with the person. I don't remember who he is though..."

My answer brought memories to my mind. Faint and blurry memories. I definitely knew he was a guy, though. I don't remember what he looked like or what he sounded like, but there was something different about him. I really wish I remembered him...

"Can I have it then..?" Loki's words pulled me away from my thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I saw the other spirits glare at him. _Me? _I just stared then looked away.

_What kind of question was that?! I was already in pain and he wants to take my ring for himself? Why does he always have to make me cry like this?! _

I kept staring into the distance, even when I felt him sit next to me. I didn't want him to see the tears in my eyes. He was quiet for a while, until he whispered softly.

"I just thought we need to move on from the past... Including the younger you... " he said as I turned to look at him.

I was confused. I just stared at my lion spirit but gave him the ring anyway. I didn't even know who it was from, so... yeah, whatever. It's just probably just worth a few jewels. It's pretty nice, with the intricate designs and stuff, but it was still pretty simple. I don't even care about the guy who gave it to me. Though there was a part of me that wanted to keep it. I unlocked the ring from my belt, held it for the last time, then gave it to Loki. He stood up then rested his hand on my head. His touch was a comfortable feeling. I wanted him to stay there, but then he walked away into the other side of the bushes before any of us could even stop him.

"...!"

We were all shocked. _Did he really just go there? _After all the hiding and watching, he just walked up to the ten-year old me like it was nothing! The other spirits and I peeked through the bushes to see what's going on. Loki was already in front of me- I mean the younger me! But the little girl was too busy crying to notice him. So Loki knelt down on one knee and brushed Lucy's hair, startling her.

"Hey there, little miss," Loki started with a bright smile.

I think I saw little Lucy's eyes widen as she stared back at Loki. Probably dazzled by his looks after seeing him for the first time. _I knew I was_.

The younger me didn't bother to smile back, still scared of Yureka's words.

"W-Who... are you? And where did you come from..?" she asked cautiously.

_Stupid Loki! He needs to stop this or he might alter the future. Didn't he consider that?! _I saw my ginger-haired spirit steal a glance back at me, as if he was saying yes, that he _did_ consider my thoughts. Maybe he was thinking that everything would be fine. That maybe his actions now would lead to our current future. Like Natsu and the scar on his neck. Maybe everything will be okay...

"Oh, I'm no one special. Just dropped by for a certain damsel in distress" he replied smoothly. I rolled my eyes at the way he answered. _You're flirting with a ten-year old, you idiot! _I yelled in my head. I heard him chuckle along with the other spirits as they read my mind.

"Are you a prince..?" The question my younger self asked made me blush into several shades of red. No matter how hard they try to not to, I could still hear my spirits' muffled laughter. The only thing I could do..? _Facepalm_.

Of course Loki chuckled, obviously amused. He just replied with a confident "As long as you're the princess". I rolled my eyes, the other spirits clenched their teeth, Loki smiled but the younger me didn't.

Loki smiled sadly and brushed my- err, Lucy's cheek.

"May I know what caused such a lovely damsel to cry such heartbreaking tears?" he asked softly. His voice wasn't flirtatious in any way. It was filled with concern and worry.

His eyes were completely focused on her brown orbs. A few seconds passed and Lucy broke into tears. We all watched as she cried loudly and burried her face into Loki's shirt, the same way I did before. The lion spirit just let the blonde girl cry her heart out as he patted her head and whispered words to comfort her. When her crying settled a bit, she pulled herself away to look directly at Loki's face.

"My mother... is gone" she told him. Loki responded with a nod. "I love her very much" she added. Her listener then sat on the ground in front of her, waiting to hear her talk 'til she feels better. I instantly thought that it was a nice thing to do.

Lucy then sat down in front of him in a lady-like manner. "You see..." she began. "My mother was a very special lady."

"It really does seem that way..." Loki smiled a bit sadly and she returned the favor.

"I always thought that Mother was magical" she whispered, her eyes unfocused as she seemed to reminisce the past . "And she really was. She was a Stellar Spirit Mage" she pointed out.

"That's what I've heard" Loki chuckled half-heartedly. My younger self smiled a bit. Though it seems that the remaining light of the day and her smile were connected... both fading.

"The way she moves or talks. The way she looks -eventhough I look like her-, she was by far lovelier than me. The way she loves me and my father, along with her spirits. Wherever she is, she always had an effect on everything and everyone around her. She was magical... and I loved every single thing about her" she finished with tears in her eyes.

The sun completely disappeared and was replaced by full darkness. Everything looked rather gloomy.

"But now, she's gone..." she continued to whisper. "And she took all the magic along with her..." she added.

The silence hanged in the air for minutes. Lucy didn't sob anymore, but her tears were still there. Loki, on the other hand, just continued to stare at the ground, his eyes hidden underneath his ginger hair. After a few more moments in the darkness, Loki raised his head to stare back at Lucy. He locked eyes with her for a moment then smiled.

"Lucy..." he began. "I'm here because I want to make you happy again... but I can't bring your mother back" Loki whispered softly as he wiped the little girl's cheek. Little Lucy just stared back at my spirit -not crying anymore- because she already knew this part. No one could ever bring her mom back... _my_ mom back.

"Because she's still with you"

"Huh?" Lucy -including my own present self- was taken aback with what Loki said.

"As you said, your mother is magical. But in my opinion, I think Madame Layla... _is _magic herself" Loki explained. I felt tears slide down my cheeks. The younger me stared wide-eyed at Loki, a little bit confused with his realization.

My lion spirit continued, "Lucy, don't you see? The sun still rises and sets. The moon still shines along with the stars. The world is still colorful... And you're still as lovely as the day you were born. Still gorgeous. The magic is still here, which means..?" he trailed off.

"My mom... is still here..?" she whispered the words, unsure. Her listener nodded to confirm her words. A smile appeared on my younger self's face, similar to my own.

And just like that, my theory has proven itself true. Our smiles lit up everyone's -me and my spirits'- faces, including my castle in the past. The darkness slowly disappeared as the lamps and shimmering lights brightened up the once gloomy garden. Fireflies woke up one by one, as if they were floating embers, seemed to burn faintly in the forest. While the moon shone proudly in the dark-blue sky, along with millions of scattered stars twinkling like the priceless jewels they are.

From the side of the mansion, you could still hear the murmurs of the people. Their voices didn't seem so strained anymore. There was a tinge of peace in them. What was the proper word for it..? Clarity? Relief..? no. It was acceptance. My mom was in a better place. But at the same time, she's still here with me. Loki was right._ Everything _was just right.

_Damn it! How does he do that?! _I felt my cheeks flush red because of the thought. Aquarius raised an eyebrow at me questioningly. I just shook my head and redirected my attention back to Loki and the ten-year old me. The younger me was still crying. But this time she cried tears of joy. _Wow, I'm such a crybaby... _I rolled my eyes as my spirits just chuckled, Loki included.

Little Lucy peeked up to smile at Loki again, who just couldn't help but smile back. He nodded towards the sky, Lucy followed his gaze and marvelled at the starry heavens. She gasped and relaxed back into Loki's arms. It annoyed me that the way Loki was holding me will be a part of my memory. I bet he won't let such a moment go... and I kind of looked forward to it._ I really am going insane..._

"Hey... Mr. Prince..?" Loki tried his hardest to hold back his laughter. I tried my hardest not to faint._ Seriously? Mr. Prince?! What the hell was wrong with me when I was ten?!_

Loki succeeded and so did I. Little Lucy looked over her shoulder to check if the Leo spirit was still listening. "Hey... Are you still there, Mr. Prince?" she asked again.

"Y-Yeah..?" he said with a bit of humor in his voice. If only I had a better aim, then I would throw a rock at him. And since my name did came from the word "lucky", it just so happens that a perfectly, small but heavy-looking rock was just a few inches from where I sat. I grabbed it and ignored the hushed warnings from behind me. I was about to throw it, until the little blonde girl stood up abruptly and turned to look at my lion spirit eye to eye. _Oh well. I didn't really wanna hurt him anyway... _

"Mr. Prince..." she said softly as she held his face with both hands.

Her stare was more focused than any other ten year old child's could ever be. For the first time, I didn't know what my own mind was thinking. I felt Loki tap into my thoughts. I did the same.

_My dearest princess, what are you thinking? I mean, when you were ten years old... right now_, Loki thought.

_How should I know. You're the one changing the past. Use your imagination or whatever! _I yelled in my thoughts, the annoyance layered in every word.

_Hmmm... Okay. I'll be a writer then. See? We are meant to be, my Lucy..!_ The chuckles coming from the others made me realize that we weren't the only ones in our psychological conversation.

_Well, what do you think, Loki?_

_I think... you wanna kiss me! _I heard more muffled laughter, mostly from Scorpio and the twins.

I was really sure that my face was red, I could feel the heat creeping in my cheeks and it's not gonna disappear any time soon. I was angry..! Was I? Ughhh! I shot a glare at him -Little Lucy too focused on him to notice me- and Loki flashed a glance at me. He smirked playfully seeing my face.

_You wish! _My mind scream was so high that it made even made my flirt-of-a-spirit wince. _Why on earth would you come to such a conclusion?! _

He looked at me for a moment, stared at my ten year old self -who seemed like she was in a trance- for a bit, then directed his attention back to me. His thoughts seemed rather... smug. I lost this argument. So I just sank behind the bushes, pouting like a kid as I continued to watch through the leaves. The other Zodiac's chuckling didn't really help the blush fade away. The blonde girl suddenly turned her head towards the bush where we hid in, since she heard the rustling made by a certain cow.

"What were you going to tell me, princess?" he smiled and held her hands that were still on his face.

Her head turned to look at him again, "Oh... yeah. About that!" She grinned happily then leaned her face closer to Loki's for more effect before saying, "I know what I'm going to do now!"

"Oh, really?" Loki raised an eyebrow, curious of what she was about to say and also trying to make a point for me. Loki just closed his eyes with a smile on his face, thinking _I am honored to be your first kiss, princess. _I could just die right now...

"I'm gonna be a stellar spirit mage!"

Lucy's voice made me stop what I was about to think. A stellar spirit mage? Why am I surprised? Of course she's gonna be a mage like me. I guess I just forgot when I came to such a decision. I just remembered that after my mom's funeral, I woke up and realized I wanted to be like her. I forgot what happened.

_Wait! _Could it be that that certain forgotten memory was my first meeting with Loki? Was he the guy I was trying so hard to remember? And the ring... I reached for it, realizing that it wasn't attached to my belt anymore. Before we even got into this mess, I was trying to remember a guy who gave me a gift. Was that why Loki wanted the ring? So many thoughts in my mind, though the spirits just listened.

"Oh, really? That's great, princess!" Loki's voice brought me back to my senses. I turned to see the lion spirit smiling at the young heiress. "But why?" he asked.

"Because you're right... My mom is magic. And I want to be with her as much as I can. That would make her happy" she said with a smile before adding, "And also, I love stellar spirits. It was amazing whenever I watched them pop out of nowhere when mom summoned them. They're amazing people... And I love all of them very much!"

With that, all of us smiled. I felt myself blush as I heard the other spirits' minds saying, _we love Lucy-sama too, _including Aquarius. We went back to watching the beautiful scene through the bushes. I saw Loki smile at the blonde girl, his eyes shined like pretty lights. He finally dug into the pocket of his tux and pulled out the gold ring I gave him. _It really was him... _

"Well, then you'll need this" he said as he placed the golden key holder on both her hands. "This is a golden ring where you can put the keys of all the celestial friends you'll make in the future. Eventhough it's pretty simple, I want you to take care of it because this is special" he continued to say as if he were in a daze.

Little Lucy felt curious and asked, "Why is that?"

My dashing spirit sighed. "Because the owner of this is the strongest stellar spirit mage I'd ever met. She is the best..."

"Hmm... How amazing is she..?" she asked in amazement. Did I hear a tinge of jealousy in her voice? I pretended I didn't notice.

"Well, right now she owns ten Zodiac keys and several silver ones. And she's just seventeen (well, sort of ^_^)" he replied proudly.

Lucy just smiled in awe. "I'm gonna be like her..." It sounded funny since she really will be, but it was nice to hear.

Sensing that everything was okay, Loki stood up. "It seems that it is time for me to leave, my dear princess" he said sweetly as he bowed before her. Loki turned around to go back to where we were, but was stopped by tiny hands that clung to his tux.

He looked back and saw the little girl, who looked a bit sad. "Mr. Prince, will I ever see you again..?" the question surprised Loki. He patted the top of her head and nodded. That answer wasn't enough for her though...

"You said before that you were my prince, right?" she began, the lion just stared. "So that means you better come back to me" she said, with a blush on her cheeks as she pouted.

My ginger haired spirit laughed in amusement. "Of course. You won't see me for a long time, but our paths will meet again" he smiled. That still wasn't good enough for the ten year old me...

"Then promise" Lucy stated, holding out her pinky for a promise. _Hmm..? I don't remember this_, I instantly thought.

Loki gave in and intertwined his pinky with the little girl's. "I promise you, my princess, that I will_ definitely _come back and be with you again" he finished his vow with a smile.

Little Lucy closed her eyes and spoke with her soft voice.

"And I promise, that when I find you, Mr. Prince... I'll make you mine..!"

She opened her eyes then grinned innocently. This time, I wasn't the only one who's face is all red. My lion spirit shared my embarassment.

The blonde girl yawned, her eyes starting to flutter. It's been a long day for her. So Loki held her once again and let her sleep in his arms. Before she completely zoned out, she reached to kiss Loki's cheek and said, "I'll find you. So you better wait for me". Then she was fast asleep, so we all went out of hiding to join the lion spirit.

"Whadd'ya know, our future actually depended on Loki's flirting" Scorpio joked as he mock-punched his leader.

Aries bent down shyly to reach for the little girl. "C-Can... I hold her..?" she stuttered. Loki carefully gave the child to the ram spirit. She smiled as thanks.

The other spirits all attacked Loki with questions, compliments and even a few threats for hitting on the ten year old me. But to sum it all up, they looked pretty happy. I just stood there behind them, unsure of what I was supposed to say. Loki finally noticed me just when Taurus was saying about to say something. He looked straight at me, smiled then called my name.

"Lucy..." the most amazing sound I've ever heard. Because this time, he wasn't referring to the younger me in this memory we were in. This time, he was talking to me. Even if it was just a couple of minutes ago, I still missed it. And I admit -though I know it's weird... I was kinda getting jealous of the ten year old Lucy.

"I heard that~" Loki whispered flirtatiously in my ear. I didn't even notice that he was standing beside me. I don't know what's going on with me. Because instead of arguing with Loki about him trespassing in my mind, or maybe even pinching his cheeks for being so ridiculously charming... I found myself blushing in front of him, not trying to hide anything. I just couldn't. He already found me. So what could I say..?

"Hey, Loki..." I tried my best not to stutter. He already read my thoughts -or at least fragments of it- and I knew he was just waiting for me to say it. He smiled as he stared at me, exactly the same way he did he saw me in this dress. I took a deep breath and began again, "Loki, I-".

"Someone's coming..!" Capricorn suddenly said, causing me to stop.

We all went back to hide behind the bushes again and waited for the person my goat spirit was talking about. Of course we haven't forgotten the little heiress, though it annoyed me that they just left her on the cold, hard ground. That was still me! Well at least Aries gave her a fluffy pink pillow. I just sighed and looked through the bushes for a few seconds, until a man walked into the scene and saw the blonde girl. He hurriedly went to her side to check if she was hurt or in any pain, then sighed when he noticed that she was just asleep. Eventhough the mansion was already lit up with so many lights, it was still so hard to see his face. Who is this man? I didn't have a clue... 'til I heard him say my name.

"Lucy..." I felt the darkness creeping back to me as I heard my father call my name.

It was my dad. I was already done crying. Why did he have to show up now?! It made me realize how wrong I was. I blinked away the tears so I could see him for one last time. I wanted to remember everything about him. He actually looked so different. I wouldn't have even recognized his voice if he didn't say my name. He sounded so... lonely. He looked younger and stronger. But at the same time, he looked exhausted, too tired to even try... But if he didn't, then he wouldn't be my dad anymore, would he? The thought made me smile through the pain that I felt. I could feel the others hold my hand or pat my head. Loki was the closest to me, which was good because I needed someone to hold onto. I was grabbing his shirt and tie as I continued to watch my dad.

"Oh, Lucy... I'm sorry" my dad spoke fervently eventhough he knows his listener was asleep. He continued, "Layla... Your mom... is gone. I know that you think you're all alone... but I'm still here".

His weary voice and words made me want to run into his arms, hug him and never let go. I looked at Loki and he read the longing in my eyes, he held me tight so I wouldn't do anything irrational. But it was hard. I already miss him.

My dad held the younger version of me close to his chest. Held her as if there was a danger lurking nearby. He held the little me the way I never thought he would. A father protectively holding his daughter. It made me happy. Eventhough he loved me from afar -not showing a tinge of evidence that he really did-, I was still glad that he did. And I knew that...

"Time's up..." Capricorn's voice made me blink. He saw the confusion in my eyes then continued, "The four-hour time limit is over, Lucy-sama..."

_Huh? No..! _I still wanted to stay. My dad... I... he...

No. He's right. It's time to leave. It's time to let go. I stared at my spirits. Each of their faces lighting up, encouraging me to strive forward. And I really should. I looked back sadly at the old forgotten memory of mine. My dad was already up, walking back towards the mansion and carrying little Lucy in his arms. I settled myself with a breath and smiled at the past.

"Bye, Dad..." I whispered as I stared at my father who continued his conversation with his daughter, who was fast asleep.

I felt a warm, familiar light touch me. I looked back and saw my spirits glowing as they stood close to their leader who held the book. Loki smiled at me and held out his hand. Looking at them as a whole made me realize that it's still not over, because this- they were my future. So I gratefully took Loki's hand and stood next to him. As I felt the warmth envelope us and slowly making me disappear, then I heard my dad's voice say that he loved me...

"I love you too, Dad..." I whispered as we all faded into the present...

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**What do you guys think? Tell me..! I'm not a mind reader like Loki. Reviews please!**

**I hope you guys liked it. Or loved it. Or at least read it. I am eternally grateful... -sob- I'm so happy!**

**Arigatou~ Until the last chapter...**


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